Tri-County Electric Cooperative

What Tri-County Electric Cooperative does

Tri-County Electric Cooperative (TCEC) is a not-for-profit, member-owned electric distribution cooperative founded in 1939, headquartered in Azle, Texas, and serving more than 110,000 members across 16 North Texas counties. The cooperative distributes electricity through over 9,660 miles of distribution lines and 140,000+ two-way communicating smart meters, providing residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural power at rates set by the Public Utility Commission of Texas. Revenue is generated primarily through monthly electric service charges (subscription-style recurring revenue) plus a one-time $25 refundable membership fee; margins are returned to members as capital credits rather than distributed to shareholders, consistent with cooperative governance by a nine-member elected board.

TCEC's technology stack includes smart meter infrastructure with fiber-optic backhaul, GIS mapping integrated with the TX811 Call Before You Dig system, and enterprise software from NISC (National Information Solutions Cooperative) supporting billing, member communications (Current Conversations newsletter), prepaid billing via Meter Data Management, and paperless enrollment. Member-facing channels include the MyTriCountyTX web portal, iOS/Android mobile app, contact center, and three physical offices (Azle HQ, Granbury, Keller), supplemented by a new Aledo dispatch center (September 2025) for the growing western service area. Operations achieved 99.98% system reliability in 2025 with call wait times reduced 95% (from over 7 minutes to under 35 seconds) following NISC platform implementation, and outages per member decreased by 25 minutes year-over-year.

Under President & CEO Scott Spence (installed 2024), TCEC executed a financial turnaround: $64.9 million in debt reduction in 2025 (7.23%, the largest single-year decrease in the cooperative's history), member equity growth from 30.08% to 33.72%, and a strategic shift requiring hyperscale and large-load industrial customers above 2 MW to pay upfront for grid infrastructure via a four-step intake model, eliminating the prior subsidy practice that had added tens of millions annually to cooperative debt. The cooperative divested its ~250-mile fiber-optic broadband assets to Syntrio Solutions in May 2026 to refocus on electric distribution, secured $34 million in USDA funding (December 2024), and signed a long-term supply chain partnership with Irby. Community programs include the Power Your Future Scholarship ($5,000 x 40 awards), Government-in-Action Youth Tour, and the Cooperative Giving hardship assistance program administered through Texas Neighborhood Services.

Name

Tri-County Electric Cooperative

Legal name

Tri-County Electric Cooperative

Website

https://tcectexas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Distribution Services

NAICS

Electric Power Distribution (221122), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

Electric Cooperatives (Rural/Member-Owned Utilities) (EUADABAC)

Keywords

• Electric distribution services
• Rural electric cooperative
• Electric utility services
• Energy distribution solutions
• Member-owned electric utility

Headquarters

HQ city

Aledo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Electric Distribution Service: As a not-for-profit electric cooperative, TCEC provides electricity distribution to over 110,000 members across 16 North Texas counties. Revenue is generated through electricity sales at rates designed to cover costs, with any margins returned to members as capital credits. The cooperative uses a Power Cost Recovery Factor (PCRF) mechanism to pass through actual wholesale generation and transmission costs without markup.
2. Membership Fees: Members pay a $25 membership fee which is fully refundable when they leave the system. This establishes their member-consumer status and voting rights in the cooperative.
3. New Service Construction: Members requesting new electric service pay for construction costs upfront, eliminating the subsidy practice that previously added tens of millions of dollars annually to cooperative debt.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Tri-County Electric Cooperative (TCEC) is a member-owned, not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative that delivers electricity to over 110,000 members across 16 North Texas counties. It operates more than 9,660 miles of distribution lines and 140,000+ two-way communicating smart meters, complemented by billing services, outage management, energy efficiency programs, and member capital credit allocations.

Product overview

Tri-County Electric Cooperative is a not-for-profit electric distribution cooperative providing electricity to over 110,000 members across 16 North Texas counties. The cooperative operates as a single unified service with multiple interconnected programs and member-facing tools: MyTriCountyTX portal for account management, smart meter infrastructure for grid monitoring, multiple billing options (prepaid, budget, PCRF), energy efficiency solutions with rebates, outage management systems, and community programs including scholarships, youth tours, and the Cooperative Giving assistance program. The cooperative recently launched a new website (December 2025) and completed a data center migration (April 2026), while serving members through offices in Azle, Granbury, and Keller.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Electric Service

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.98% system reliability maintained
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IrbycoreTechnology or Integration · 1 May 2025Irby serves as TCEC's dedicated supply chain management partner under a long-term strategic alliance established November 1, 2024. The partnership is expected to save the cooperative millions of dollars annually through improved supply chain efficiency. Irby is a materials supplier that stocks transformers and other equipment for TCEC.
• Carter BloodCareminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Carter BloodCare partners with TCEC to host community blood drives across the service area, including locations in Azle, Keller, and Granbury. TCEC employees and members participate in these drives as part of the cooperative's Concern for Community principle.
• Texas Neighborhood ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2024Texas Neighborhood Services (TXNS) administers TCEC's Cooperative Giving Program, distributing funds to qualifying members facing financial hardship. In 2025-2026, TXNS has received over $90,000 in total contributions from TCEC's Cooperative Giving Program. The partnership ensures proper allocation of assistance to members in need across the 16-county service area.
• National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 May 2024NISC provides TCEC with an Enterprise Software Solution encompassing billing, financial management, and member communication platforms. Notable implementations include Current Conversations digital newsletter via Multi-Channel Messenger, paperless billing enrollment, and prepaid billing program via Meter Data Management platform. The partnership has enabled 95% reduction in call wait times and significant operational efficiencies.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CoServ (Denton County Electric Cooperative): Large Texas electric distribution cooperative serving the North Texas region with overlapping service territory adjacent to TCEC; recently partnered with Base Power on a 100MW residential battery VPP. Highly comparable not-for-profit co-op model, scale, and customer base.
• Pedernales Electric Cooperative: The largest electric distribution cooperative in Texas, serving Central Texas members with a similar not-for-profit, member-owned model. Directly comparable in governance, scale ambitions, and service mix (residential, commercial, large load).
• Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative: Texas distribution electric cooperative serving members across a multi-county territory with a comparable member-owned utility structure and similar regulatory environment under the PUCT.
• Bandera Electric Cooperative: Texas electric distribution cooperative serving the Texas Hill Country. Comparable cooperative governance, capital-credits model, and focus on rural/suburban distribution.
• Mid-South Synergy: Texas electric distribution cooperative formed via merger serving Brazos Valley and surrounding counties. Comparable member-owned structure, geographic-reach profile, and merger-driven growth history similar to TCEC's 1998 B-K merger.
• Heart of Texas Electric Cooperative: Texas distribution electric cooperative operating in Central Texas with a similar member-owned, regulated distribution business model and comparable reliance on PUCT oversight.
• Navasota Valley Electric Cooperative: Texas electric distribution cooperative serving rural and suburban members; comparable scale, cooperative governance, and mix of residential/agricultural/commercial customers.

Broad incumbents

• Oncor Electric Delivery: Investor-owned transmission and distribution utility serving much of North Texas, including areas adjacent to TCEC's territory. Comparable distribution infrastructure and customer base, but operates as a regulated IOU rather than a cooperative.

Others

• National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC): Enterprise software and technology vendor serving TCEC and many U.S. electric cooperatives with billing, MDM, and member communications platforms. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a competitor.
• Irby Utilities: Long-term strategic supply-chain partner providing transformers and grid materials to TCEC under a dedicated alliance signed in Nov 2024. Ecosystem supplier rather than competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TCECTexas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tcectexas
• Instagraminstagram.com/tcectexas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tri-County Electric Cooperative